One-way snap fastener combination



' Oct. 12, 1965 J. H. HUMISTON 3,210,820

ONE-WAY SNAP FASTENER COMBINATION Filed May 26, 1964 INVENTOR.

Y mm.

John H. Humisfon.

United States Patent 3,210,820 ONE-WAY SNAP FASTENER CUMBINATION John H.Humiston, Watertown, Conn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company,Waterbury, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed May 26, 1964, Ser.No. 370,229 2 Claims. (Cl. 24208) My invention relates to what may betermed a oneway snap fastener, which means a fastener which will bepermanently locked once the two parts are snapped together.

It is intended to secure together in overlapping relation two partswhich are intended to be permanently held in place or sealed. It isespecially useful for identification bracelets used in hospitals.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved construction forsuch fasteners where the socket and stud elements each consist of aone-piece plastic part capable of being easily attached to straps or thelike and which after being interengaged will provide maximum securityagainst separation.

A more specific object is to provide a socket member which can besecured to its supporting part by rolling over the barrel-like portionwhich provides a smooth interior lead-in surface and at the same time,wherein the active part which engages with the stud does not depend onthis forming operation so that it can be properly and accurately shapedand dimensioned.

Another object is to provide a fastener of the type described wherein aninternal rib on the socket will be caught in a relatively narrow neck ofthe stud so that movement of the parts in either direction is prevented,thus affording maximum security against separation.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown for the purposes ofillustration, one embodiment which the invention may assume in practice.In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bracelet equipped with my improvedfastener;

FIG. 2 shows the two parts of the fastener before assembly to the strapwith the socket shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the inner side of the stud element;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the inner side of the socket element whenassembled to a supporting part;

FIG. 5 shows the two parts assembled to a strap with the socket againshown in section; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 except that the fastener parts arepermanently locked together.

The identification bracelet shown in FIG. 1 is a flexible plastic strap7 with a series of holes 8 near one end. At the other end, is a tab 9 towhich the socket element of my improved fastener is attached, the studelement being secured to the strap and in alignment With the socketelement.

The socket as seen in FIG. 2 is a one-piece rigid plastic molding havingan annular base 10, a tubular cylindrical portion 11 and an internal rib12 which extends entirely around the inner surface of the axial opening13 which extends entirely through the socket element.

In assembling the socket member to the strap, the cylindrical portion 11is pushed through a hole and upset outwardly and against the innersurface of the strap in the form of a bead 14 and providing a smoothrounded lead-in surface 15 to enable the stud element to be guided moreeasily into place.

The stud is also a one-piece plastic molding comprising a base flange 16adapted to bear against the outer 3,210,820 Patented Oct. 12, 1965surface of its supporting piece, and a post 17 which is placed throughone of the holes 8 depending on the size of the bracelet desired. Thispost has a rounded head portion 18, and one or more slots 19 extendthrough the end of the post to a depth beyond the neck 20. This neckprovides a square or abrupt shoulder 21 facing outwardly toward the baseflange 16, and when the parts are pressed together as seen in FIG. 6,the slotted stud head will yield enough to allow this shoulder 21 topass over the rib 12 and snap back into permanent engagement with theoutwardly facing square shoulder 22 provided by the rib 12.

The narrow neck 24) also leaves a beveled shoulder 23 facing away fromthe base flange 16 which abuts against the inwardly facing surface 24-of the rib 12 so as to limit the movement of the stud into the socket.This prevents further relative inward movement and provides for moresecurity.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with two parts adapted to be secured together inoverlapping relation, a one-way snap fastener construction comprising(a) a one-piece rigid socket of plastic material with an axial openingtherethrough, said socket having an annular base bearing against theouter surface of one of said overlapping parts and a tubular cylindricalportion projecting through such part and upset outwardly and against theinner surface of such overlapping part and providing an annulus with asmooth rounded interior lead-in surface, said socket having anuninterrupted rib directed toward the center of said opening and spacedfrom the outer surface of said base and also from said annulus, said ribproviding an abrupt shoulder facing outwardly; and

(b) a one-piece plastic stud comprising a base flange post having areduced neck intermediate its end and providing an abrupt shoulderfacing toward the base flange, said post having at least one cross slotextending into the free end of said post through the neck portionthereof, said post projecting through the other of said overlappingparts and into said socket whereby said abrupt shoulder of said studwill engage over said abrupt shoulder of said socket in permanentinterlocked engagement.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said reduced neck of thestud post provides a shoulder facing away from said base flange whichco-Operates with the inner surface of said uninterrupted rib to limitmovement of said stud post into said socket opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 360,913 4/87Pringle 24-208 2,610,879 9/52 Pope 24214 2,871,592 2/59 Polzin 24206References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 502,560 8/93Gleason.

829,837 8/06 Brisacher. 2,896,8 89 7/59 Hershberger. 2,971,681 2/ 61Galbierz. 3,015,869 1/62 Rapata.

DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. BERNARD A. GELAK, Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION WITH TWO PARTS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TOGETHER INOVERLAPPING RELATION, A ONE-WAY SNAP FASTENER CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING(A) A ONE-PIECE RIGID SOCKET OF PLASTIC MATERIAL WITH AN AXIAL OPENINGTHERETHROUGH, SAID SOCKET HAVING AN ANNULAR BASE BEARING AGAINST THEOUTER SURFACE OF ONE OF SAID OVERLAPPING PARTS AND A TUBULAR CYLINDRICALPORTION PROJECTING THROUGH SUCH PART AND UPSET OUTWARDLY AND AGAINST THEINNER SURFACE OF SUCH OVERLAPPING PART AND PROVIDING AN ANNULUS WITH ASMOOTH ROUNDED INTERIOR LEAD-IN SURFACE, SAID SOCKET HAVING ANUNINTERUPTED RIB DIRECTED TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID OPENING AND SPACEDFROM THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID BASE AND ALSO FROM SAID ANNULUS, SAID RIBPROVIDING AN ABRUPT SHOULDER ACING OUTWARDLY; AND (B) A ONE-PIECEPLASTIC STUD COMPRISING A BASE FLANGE POST HAVING A REDUCED NECKINTERMEDIATE ITS END AND PROVIDING AN ABRUPT SHOULDER FACING TOWARD THEBASE FLANGE, SAID POST HAVING AT LEAST ONE CROSS SLOT EXTENDING INTO THEFREE END OF SAID POST THROUGH THE NECK PORTION THEREOF, SAID POSTPROJECTING THROUGH THE OTHER OF SAID OVERLAPPING PARTS OF SAID STUDSOCKET WHEREBY SAID ABRUPT SHOULDER OF SAID STUD WILL ENGAGE OVER SAIDABRUPT SHOULDER OF SAID SOCKET IN PERMANENT INTERLOCKED ENGAGEMENT.